Public Statements

Statement

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced an amendment to the FY2014 Budget Resolution to prevent Congress from funding the EPA's proposed New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) regulations. The amendment would block funding for these overreaching regulations that set unattainable carbon dioxide emissions standards from new coal-fired power plants.

"EPA's choice to hold coal and gas to the same emissions standards is unprecedented under the Clean Air Act, and is yet another example of EPA overreach," Senator Manchin said. "That is why I have introduced an amendment to make sure we protect our coal-fired power plants. Not only would this rule have a devastating effect on our coal production, this rule would endanger the reliability and sustainability of our electricity supply.

"The new regulations attempt to force standards on coal emissions that would not only be incredibly expensive, but impossible to achieve even with advanced technology. Even worse, there would be no benefit from these new regulations. After all, experts agree that emissions from all U.S. power plants have only a marginal impact on global emissions, and this already small share is shrinking every year, as China, India, and others dramatically scale up their fossil fuel use."